. >> secretary of state clinton is in brawls attending the nato foreign minister session. she emphasized that the patriot system being deployed to turkey are not meant to destabilize the already uneasy relationship with russia as the spokesman at home urged now to join the international community in helping to ease bashar al-assad. >>shepard: thank you from the state department. that is the reporting. now the context and perspective. now to the director of the program on arab politics at the washington institute for near east policy a "american bandstand" group of scholars whose mission is to advance america's interests overseas. how big a move is this movement of chemical weapons? what does it tell us in the big picture? >>guest: it is very significant. it highlights the desperation of assad regime, the fact he is mixing the recursors of sarin gas, that is a scare tactic for us to keep us out of it, and, also, warning the people of syria he could be prepared to use these if he is brought down. >>shepard: based on what the united states has said and not said or done, what